HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
H.R. NO.
83
THIRTIETH LEGISLATURE, 2020
STATE OF HAWAII
HOUSE RESOLUTION
REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION to EXPAND ACCESS TO the WE THE PEOPLE PROGRAM FOR PUBLIC SCHOOL STUDENTS AND REPORT to the legislature ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE c3 framework for social studies in public schools.
WHEREAS, Hawaii has the lowest voter turnout in the nation, with only 52.6 percent of registered voters casting a ballot in the 2018 general election; and
WHEREAS, civic education programs, such as We The People, prepare students to participate in the political and public life of their communities; and
WHEREAS, civic education teaches students to recognize social problems, evaluate possible solutions, separate evidence-based claims from opinions, and act upon what they learn; and
WHEREAS, in 2013, the National Council for Social Studies published the College, Career, & Civic Life C3 Framework of Social Studies; and
WHEREAS, the C3 Framework incorporates new paradigms focusing on global perspectives, multicultural viewpoints, democratic citizenship, connecting the past with the present, collaborative learning and work environments, and applying knowledge to the broader community; and
WHEREAS, in 2015, the Board of Education adopted the College, Career, and Civic Life Framework for Social Studies State Standards, or C3 Framework, to implement inquiry-based learning and emphasize the application of knowledge to real-world problems, issues, and concerns; and
WHEREAS, We The People advances the goals established under the C3 Framework for social studies, including increasing students' understanding of democratic responsibility and civic engagement; and
WHEREAS, cultivating civic, social, and political engagement among students is one strategy to increase voter turnout over the long term; now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Thirtieth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2020, that the Department of Education is requested to expand access to the We The People program for public school students; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Education is requested to provide a report to the Legislature on the Department's implementation of the C3 Framework for social studies in public schools, including expanding access to the We The People program, no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2021; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Chairperson of the Board of Education and Superintendent of the Department of Education.
OFFERED BY:
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Report Title:
Voter Turnout; DOE; We the People; C3 Framework; Report